Ryan Bader is in the prime of his career as Bellator’s light-heavyweight & heavyweight double champion. Meanwhile, the gap between his UFC counterpart Jon Jones and title challengers seems to be narrowing.
Bader (27-5-0-1) has expressed an interest in re-matching Jones (26-1-0-1), the man who handed Bader his first loss. It’s a challenge that comes from a place of tremendous respect. Speaking to Bloody Elbow, Bader gave his assessment on why challenges like Dominick Reyes and Thiago Santos have come so close to dethroning the pound-for-pound great.
“Guys are coming up and they’re getting better but I think there is a big mental game.